The round table tales
by oz78
Summary: The story of Duran Credits Kennedy77 and chinfeilee I ended the story as initially intended while I had written beyond what was posted. This is still relatively crude and badly written, but otherwise, a fun writing process for me, I hope you like it.
1. Chapter 1

**Round table tales**

Heavy clouds loomed over head, winds howling as a storm approaches.

A lone traveler trends the dirt road, pacing steadily toward his destination at the far side of the beaten road.  
The Traveler wore a heavy cloak, dark leather boots kicks out from the heavy layers of his dirty cloak with every step he takes. A strong gust of wind threw off the hood which the traveler pulled over his face revealing his long pale face, & long white grayish hair. Many scars ran along his face, telltale signs of one who's seen a fair share of battles for several lifetimes. Each marked an encounter, especially the 4 inch long one that runs from middle of the forehead to right side of this nose, barely missing his right eye.

A veteran knight that once served the old King, he has since traded armor for a simple crock. Only his scars, the ever ringing in his left ear and his trusty sword reminded of his past. Along the steel blade of the sword was numerous chips and dents, each telling the story of tough battles with dangerous monsters. Like the time he faced off a angry black dragon with claws as big as a small hut or an towering ogre wielding a tall pine tree or even fireball spitting hydras. The sword was bestowed upon him by the goddess Athena for his valor in saving the city of Greece from the Cerberus, a fearsome 3-headed dog like monster with 9 tails, each with a snake head at the end.

Noting the foreboding weather, the veteran reached for his hood to pull it over his head. ..  
Only to suddenly pause, his battle honed instincts nagging at him of danger. A faint rustle from a brush several feet ahead, a glint of steel and faint whispers confirms his senses. "Amateurs." The knight murmurs as he spots five armed men huddled on the sides of the road, then a sixth figure twenty feet further down the road to the far left peeking out the side of a stout oak. The veteran offered a silent prayer to his guardian deity, the goddess Athena and approached the ambush with steady measures steps, wary of traps these men, likely bandits may have set to snare the unknowing traveler.

As the veteran approaches the thicket one of the men hid in, the man reveals himself. Brandishing a worn long sword, the man rests it over his shoulder and address the veteran.  
"My my, who do we have 'er, yer be travelin' by yerself sire?"  
As the man spoke, he signals for his companions to come out of hiding. Sure enough four more came on to the road. The man furthest from the veteran motions for the rest to stay their weapons and approaches within talking distance. Seemingly the leader of this band, he sports relatively fine equipment, a seemingly unused and new board sword slung casually from his hip in a scabbard, leather breeches, his gloves clean tucked under his belt. Fine woven pants and fine tanned leather boots almost spotless despite the conditions of the road.  
He appears far too untouched by the roads to be a robber, the veteran noted.

"Good evening, sire. Excuse Davy here, he is merely eager to greet. My name is Ducont le fleur, a traveler much like yourself on this wretched lands"  
Motioning to his men, Ducont introduces them.  
" here is Higgs, Boson, Doma and Davy there that sprung himself on you.  
The men behind Ducont however didn't take to his casual attitude, all of them had weapons drawn and appear tense, ready to put their weapons to use at the slightest provocation.

The veteran drew his cloak apart, revealing his splendid weapon and rested his hand on the pommel of his finely crafted sword. He curtly bowed, taking care not to take his eyes off these dangerous looking men as he introduced himself.  
"The name is Duran, How may I be of service to you fair traveler?"

Ducont steps forward exclaiming loudly, waving out his arms in exaggeration.  
"Duran? Duran of Vogelberg? Slayer of the dragons, destroyers of Ogres hordes?"  
His brows rises before changing to a skeptical look, "or it's just a common name there." An answer rather than a question.  
" Duran is 8" tall, & arms the size of. Tree trunks!" Higgs laughed off.  
"And fire came off his breath" remarked Doma Davy bursts out laughing shortly joined by the rest.

Duran remained still. This is not the first time someone laughed off his reputation. While some of his achievement have been vastly exaggerated, he did killed a black dragon, among many monsters. Imposing as he is, he is nowhere near 8" and certainly do not breath fire.  
He wasn't always the knightly warrior favored by the gods before, and it began...  
Not the least bit agitated by the taunts, Duran remained calm, alert and well aware as 2 of the men slowly circled behind him, cutting off his escape route.

"It would do you well if you just give us all the valuables on you." As Ducont spoke,his smile twists into a snarl. "Not that we wish to be robbers.. if not for that wretched necromancer cult besieging my castle, I would still be having roasted boar meat with endless wine made of the finest grapes in this land." His voice mixed with anger and bitterness.  
The knight eyebrows lifted slightly at the mention of necromancer cult. "Is it the 'Black Mushroom' necromancer cult led by the evil witch Adria?" He enquired, his voice turning to be one of great interest.  
"Yer sword be fer decoration?!"Davy taunts, long sword over head as he eagerly rushes toward Duran, swooping his blade towards the knight's unprotected head.  
Duran caught the blade easily and snatched it away without blinking, staring into Davy's confused eyes.  
"I'll like to have a word with your lord, now if you'll excuse me, Davy."

The veteran walked confidently towards Ducont as Davy backs up towards his band, and took out a concealed dagger from his back. "Would you happen to know a person named Timo?!" Duran pressed the band, with which Ducont unnerved, yell for his men to attack at once.  
Higgs and boson rushed the knight from both sides thrusting and chopping, Duran slaps the short sword from Higgs hands, caught him by his collar and tossed him at Boson like a rag doll. Higgs and Boson collapsed into a heap, knocked unconscious.  
Doma came in fast behind the pair heavy mace in hand, swinging powerfully at Duran's side.  
The knight stops the attack with the pommel of his sword, then side steps the tripping Doma as the momentum of his advance pulled him forward. Slamming square into Davy as the wretch tries to backstab Duran.  
Duran points Davy's long sword at the two, threw a sidelong glance at Ducont and asks again, so you know Timo?

"Timo, that pokey face ginger ?" Davy steady his footing. " what business ye have of this thug?"  
" My only kin left, my younger brother actually" Duran paused before continuing, deciding to play along.  
" where can I find him?"  
" that son of the bitch took my niece Sharon ran to the Necromancer encampment in the woods" Ducont answered, clearly still very upset about the incident.

" lead me to the woods" Duran reached for a pouch and tossed it before Ducont. The bag jingling of coins made apparent the contents as it dropped to the ground, coins, and lots of it.  
" you will get the other half when we reach the place I seek"  
Davy picked up the purse of coins and weighed it in his hand as he threw it up and down.

"D'ble tis amount and u got ya'self a deal.. tis will not be enough for all of us.." he say, motioning his head towards his accomplice. "Mor'over you be getting ya'self the best guide for the woods.. we used to hunt there pretty often.."

"Deal." Duran replied coldly, as he watch the rest of the men exchange glances with each other then nod greedily in agreement with their leader, and added  
"Let's get moving". "Good, ye landed ya'self a great deal." Davy added, rubbing his filthy hands in glee. He signaled his companions to group up. "The woods' a few days walk from 'ere. 'O we can travel to the nearest town and pick up some horses, then we can reach within a day or two." Davy paused, then hastily adding "Ye will pay for the horses of course."  
With their agreement, Ducont hustled his men to the location where Duran spotted a 6th person. Behind the stout oak was a lady of obvious stature, dressed in fine silken toga, jewelry adorns her neck and ears. Duran was taken by disgust however, the lady was hogtied and gagged. Left in a leaning position, all she CAN do is peek around the stout oak she was left at, with her arms, knees and ankles bound she can hardly move.

"Whom might she be and why was she tied up?" Duran asks, holding back his urge to strike the men down where they stood.  
Ducont held the squirming lass by her chin and grinned in a lecherous manner, "she's my wife, an adulterous wench, I would sooner have her hung if..."  
Ducont took a moment to leer at the woman, ran the back of his fingers slowly and deliberately down her neck, drawing muffled protests from the gagged gal " not for my love for her" pushing the lady back down to the ground, he turned back to Duran, Palm on his face trying to hide the look on his face and hissed "and being such a magnanimous person, I let her live. I had her bound and gagged to prevent her from running off to her lover."

"An obvious lie" Duran thought, the lady's tear streaked eyes hinted of anger for her captors, judging from the finery she had left not robbed of her, she's likely kidnapped not too long ago and probably to be held for ransom or other design of these thieves.  
"Step aside!" Duran demanded, right hand on his sword, " I wouldn't ask twice." The men at first turned towards him, then look at one another. "Ye know what, why no kill him then take the other half ?" Yelled Davy to the rest.

"Let's get...OUCH!" Higgs howls in pain as he went on his knee and a flame red blade was at his throat, the flaming brand is not a blade of mortal origin. Blood ran freely from a fresh wound on his left thigh as Higgs pressed on it.  
"I only needed one guide" just not too long ago, Duran would have the killed, every of these men, before they even spoke.

Higgs recoils in pain and fear, but not actually badly hurt.

Duran turns his attention to the rest just as Davy came with his long sword leading, his weapon poised to gouge out an eye. Just as before, Duran easily snatched his weapon. With his free hand, Duran grabbed the scoundrel by his collar then soundly knocked the daylights out of him with a heavy elbow strike to Davy's temple, turning to his side as Duran pivots on one heel.  
Snapping a sharp kick at Boson, Duran disarms the man. Boson was utterly confused at the lost of his weapon and failed to see another kick that caught him square at his jaw, sending him reeling backwards and failing over Higgs. Davy came crashing into the 2 and the collision knocked all 3 down and out.  
Doma came swinging clumsily and Duran used the momentum of of his weapon to misdirect the attack, disarming Doma in the process. Now in close proximity, Duran snapped a quick succession of jabs at Doma, each blow fluidly executed and ending with a clean palm strike to Doma's jaw.  
The large man convulses briefly from the multiple hits and collapses groaning.

Outmatched, Ducont knew he doesn't stand a chance and sprinted away just as Doma fell. No further then a couple of paces did Ducont keel over in pain, Duran had taken Davy's dagger and scored a direct hit on Ducont's calf.

Hurt, Ducont couldn't run if he wanted to. Duran caught up to him quickly and kicked his injured leg, drawing a squeal o pain from Ducont.

"Stay put", Duran warns as he threatens to stomp on Ducont's injured leg. With Ducont compliant, he drags him back to the clearing where he 1st found the girl.

Doubling back, 2 swift strikes and he had the girl ropes loose. With an out stretched hand, he offered to help the lass get up.  
"Who be you and what business does these thugs have with you?" Duran asked as he gather the men he knocked out to one spot and motioned for Higgs and Ducont to come to him.

With the rope he took from the lass he motions the two men to tie their companions up

The lass took a moment to straighten herself out, regaining composure she spoke.  
"These men tried to force me to hand over my property and steal my possessions.  
My father is lord sunderworth, decanus of the church. Who are you and what are you doing with these men!"

"Pardon me milady, know not you or your father," Duran bows deeply, and return to Ducont to tie him up just as he finishes tying up Higgs.  
I was on my way to meet with an old friend when these men tried to rob me."

I am Elissa sunderworth, that scum you are binding now used to serve my father, if I knew his traitorous nature I would have personally saw him beheaded!

Where be your father now lady Elissa?  
The feisty lass shudders and her eyes went red with tears" poppa had been sick for months now, I tried to get him the best doctors but nothing would help... he died.. "Fighting to not break down crying, Elissa focuses on Ducont.

She picked up Ducont's sword, and aimed it's edge at Ducont throat. The sowed swing up and down with her breathing.

"I could end it if you wish", Ducan offering to put an end to Ducont. " it isn't my first, and will not be my last, I reckon."

"Unless you know the way, otherwise I need his help to get me to yo my friend, my bother actually, in the forest. Necromancer stronghold"

Elissa pull back the sword, but not before kicking Ducont on his guts.

" I don't" but I know someone that does, back at my castle. But I would need your help to return. I shall reward you of course"

"I suppose I am not in a hurry, & could do with sleep", Duran nodded

"And a bath!" Elissa interrupted

"Today is my better day." Duran teased, and both broke off laughing.

"But would you him then ?" Duran asked.

" just tied him to a tree and leave him here. If his friends cared about him, they came back to him, otherwise , he can be supper for the wolves for all I care."

With Ducont tied on a tree, the pair travel off toward the Sunderworth castle. 


	2. Chapter 2

Overcast and gloomy, cruel winds cuts at one's skin with the unforgiving chill.

Howling, an impending snow storm blots out the sun, grayish snow filled the sky, and a gradually whitening field.

The same time the previous year, the pair bid farewell to a father that never returned. All their father left with them was a parchment detailing the code of arm, code of the Steinhertz family.

It was said their father had fought bravely to the very end, he volunteered with a small group to hold the ground so the others can escape. During the brief periods of peace time that followed, many people had retraced the route taken but could neither recover his corpse nor determine if he lived.

He was pronounced dead afterwards, trackers decided he may have been killed in the standoff and his corpse dragged away and eaten by scavengers. To some He was called a hero by many, but to the Steinhertz that came at far too high a cost, the news broke their mother's will and she never recovered. As if the lost of her husband wasn't bad enough, numerous tragedies occurred among those that tried to help the family and the widow of Steinhertz was shunned. Rumors of curses plaguing the Steinhertz rapidly spread within Vögelsberg and soon enough the family was driven from their home, and the widow reviled as a witch that bewitched and killed men.

The war ended soon afterwards with a peace treaty peace however was short lived.

Strife within the court destabilized the monarchy and an uprising followed. A disgruntled young man, nephew of the old king usurped the throne. With the old king cast aside, the new king terrorized his people, imposing high taxes and had his personal army take whatever they wanted by force.

It wasn't long before his coffers are drained and he turned his sights on his neighbor. Raids on fringe villages outside borders soon escalated to full scale war. with the treaty was broken, Löweburg declared war and the foolish new king, inexperienced and naive readily agreed. Wanting to show off, the fool lead a small party ahead of the main force of his army and was promptly unsaddled by an arrow in his chest. Power was returned to the old king in an odd turn of events and the worn monarch held off Löweburg with what Vögelsberg had.

The older of the two sons, Hansan just turned 15, had been drafted into the army under the guise of Duran, distant relative to the steinhertz in order to join the war. Years of war ensued and Hansan's valor in battle earned him the recognition for his contributions, as such he rose quickly within the ranks and within a year of induction to the army he was already a commander of his company of men As years passed his skill with the sword and calculated strategies earned him much respect of both friends and foes alike, he was known as Duran of Vögelsberg,

"Take care of mother", Duran tapped the shoulder of his younger brother who was in tears.

Duran was getting ready for a final showdown with Löweburg, their accumulated forces easily 25 times the amount of Vögelsberg. As word had gone around Löweburg had employed the aid of it's neighbors in light of it's multiple loses where it had not regarded Vögelsberg as a threat before, but now was bent on crushing Vögelsberg in a single concentrated strike.

"Please come back alive, be safe".  
Duran was silent. He would not make a promise he cannot be sure to keep.

He nodded and turned, as he walked away until he was lost in sight in the storm.

That was the last Timo seen his brother.

A clap of thunder drowning out the howling of winds only briefly, the rumbling of the storm grew in intensity as the eye of the storm approaches.

Timo sprung off his bed, startled by the sonic boom, his hair clammy from perspiration while he had slept.

"Are you ok?" Yari asked in concern.

"I am fine, dreamt of that day again, the day I bid farewell to my brother Hansan" Timo clarified.

" you have been having the same dream for years, perhaps it is time you pay a visit to your homeland. Your brother may still be alive and had returned there waiting for you." Yari suggested.

Timo shook his head, "He is dead, Thomas, our best friend confirmed it when I asked him after he returned from the war."  
"there was a huge explosion and he was gone. After the explosion, there were debris everywhere, but no sign of Duran" "Those were the exact words from Thomas's mouth."

Yari signed. "The dream should have some meaning. You would not be having the same dream over and over for no reason. It must be trying to tell you something."  
"But what is it trying to tell me? That my brother is alive and I should try looking for him?"

"Thomas has said that he is certain my brother had died in that explosion, that no one can survive that blast, I have no reason to doubt him" Timo reasoned. "Although every bit of me is yearning for him to be alive."

A flash of lightning lit the room for a brief moment and a frightened woman cringed, bracing herself for the roar of the rolling thunder. And the sound of thunder came as expected, the woman had withstood it's deafening boom.

Timo came forward and gently stroked her face, then brought a candle stick he had lit closer for inspection of the trembling woman.

Sharon can barely hold back from screaming, though it would not really matter.  
A ball of cloth was stuffed into her mouth to stifle her screams when she was taken, with her wrists bound behind her she cannot remove the gag, much less push away a wide eyed Timo, his bloodshot eyes scaring her even more the the dark room she was held captive in.

As Timo went on rambling about his brother and how he was dead, Sharon managed a muffled response.

"Yes Yari I know, I should go back home sometime. Brother may still be alive….. Dead…. No he is dead, all dead… DEAD I TELL YOU, STOP TRYING TO TELL ME HE IS ALIVE!"

Timo clutches his head in agony as he struggles with some ominous force, his face contorts as he lets out a series of screams which almost sounded like some wild animal.  
Several moments later he seemingly calms, and returns to Sharon whom have seen him go through the seizures.  
Timo turned Sharon to him and spoke in more measured tones "Thomas told me, he is dead, Thomas will not lie to me."  
Something appears to call to Timo as he nods to himself in agreement, and Sharon slides out of his hands onto the cold stone floor. With new found purpose, Timo leaves the cell he sleeps in and locks it as he exits, holding Sharon captive within.  
A scream echoes from the far reaches of the pitch black corridors as Timo walks on, oblivious of his surroundings.  
why Hanson, why, why wouldn't you stay dead! " Timo bit his teeth " why did you leave...it's all your fault" His grew more angry. " now I have to kill you! " his eyes now a growing red.

A thunder roared as he recalled trusting the knife into his mother heart. Narrowly missed, and as his mother cried in pain, or was it sorrow. He stabs viciously a second, a third, and continued stabbing until his shirt was red with the blood from his mother, before leaving her lifeless body in a pool of blood.

Rain came pouring down, just like that wretched day. The town folks must be satisfied that the witch was finally dead, & disperse in mostly silence as the rain came pouring, filling the town center pavement in red.  
" you would have done the same would you, big brother, I know you would!" "But you didn't and I did!"  
"The evil Timo that killed his own mother, they will called me" " the same bastard that demanded me to kill her to prove I am not a accomplice" his pale face resembling the recently deceased, timo's crazed eyes scanned the skies as he screamed out. " they all deserved to die, all of them"


	3. Chapter 3

With the storm blowing through the woods, all the creatures had gone into their shelters, all save a lone figure stubbornly moving through the heavy rain.

No normal living soul would risk treading out in the open in such severe weather, but Timo is no normal person, even as his boots dug deep in the mud and rain so heavy they would rob one of sight he cared little for his predicament.

Thomas just told him he could meet Hanson if he went out of the woods, all he needed was to gather some friends to make his trip, and his friends are somewhere in the woods, he just needs to find them now.

A flash of lightning hit a nearby tree and temporarily lit the area up, the surge of power blew the top section of the tree off, what's left caught fire despite the heavy rain, strong winds served to stroke the hungry flames that bite into the dead wood, burning brightly and giving light to the gloom of the woods.

Timo stopped walking, though not quite shaken by the Lightning that struck in such close proximity and even less the burning tree.  
He has found his friends.

Come to me! Timo cried, with his arms out stretched high above his head, his eyes wide and almost gleeful as he calls yet again into the empty clearing.

Something broke free of the ground at Timo's feet another flash of lightning struck yet another tree nearby and lit it up as well, and it came clear as skeletal hands broke out from the mud around Timo, bony corpses and the likes of nightmares rising from the dead.

As the last of the undead rose from the ground, Timo broke out in maniacal laughter his body arched backwards into an awkward position even as the storm raged around him, flashes streaked repeatedly around the clearing.

Familiar Death fill the air, an army of skeletons already filled the clearing, named appropriately as the mass burial ground of the victims of the Black Death, an unholy plague that swept the land and laid waste to it's inhabitants and any that dares set foot upon these wretched lands

Straightening himself after the fit, Timo beckons to his risen and calls out loud, "I will find you now Hanson, Yari is right, you are coming home!"

"Ow ow ow no no dummy, you're not biting the ropes, that's my finger!"

Ducont yelps in pain as Doma nipped his index finger by mistake.

It has been a few hours since Elissa and her mysterious savior had left the band to their fates, now the gang mostly recovered are trying to free themselves. The process proved to be slow and tedious.

Davy wrestles his bonds as Higgs and boson tries fruitlessly to free themselves by biting the bonds behind their back for one another at the same time.

Ducont instructs Doma to free him 1st with promises to help him in return. Though secretly plotting to just leave the foursome as soon as he is free, the rain storm thoroughly soaked the five of them and Ducont wanted more than ever to leave the others, regarding them as inept and deciding to simply loot the next household he finds further out of Grimaldi then leave the county altogether.

The necromancers are all around and he wished only to escape the county as soon as possible.  
Several more minutes passed between grunts and shivering as the band tries to untie themselves, then Doma struck home on one of the knots, Ducont quickly frees his wrists and proceeds to undo the ropes on his ankles.

Doma watches him all this while waiting impatiently," quickly, me now!" The big man urges.  
Ducont gets on his feet and brushes his breeches cursing under his breath, took a moment to regard the rest of the band, pick up his sword and walked of nonchalantly ignoring the pleas of Doma and the stares of Davy. Going at a fair pace he left the band of men behind him quickly and was soon miles away.

Walking along the road, Ducont spots a lone figure dragging his feet several yards away, figuring he might have found someone injured and vulnerable, Ducont hushed his footsteps and approached silently.

As the person is dragging one foot, obviously twisted in an awkward angle, he didn't really move fast enough and Ducont caught up to him fairly quickly.

As Ducont nears his next potential victim he cleans his face with his palms a little, then straightens himself as he jumps into the road behind the shambling figure.

"Greeting traveler, how would it be that you walk these roads alone at such a late hour?"

Ducont calls out, he was just a few feet away and though his flashy appearance would unnerve the traveler and make it easier for him to persuade this traveler to make a "donation" for Ducont's next meal.

The traveler didn't seem to register at 1st, but slowly and surly turned about, silently regarding the source of the commotion.

Ducont thinking he had the upper hand took a step forward and slowly drew his weapon, all the while spewing mock pleasantries. The sky was cloudy and very little light made it through, but as it was a night of the full moon, bits of moonlight escapes the folds of the clouds and Ducont can roughly make out this traveler's build being thin, a metallic glint from his neck appears to be some sort of jewelry.  
Seeing his target having next to no reaction, apart from seemingly breathing heavily, Ducont thought he struck a nerve and got even closer, standing just an arm's distance away from his wayfarer, sword at his side.

"Now if you may my good man, part with your riches so I may show you to safety" Ducont declares aloud.

When the figure only lunges at Ducont, the thug skewers the traveler with his blade.  
To Ducont's delight the clouds started to part and the bright moon illuminated his immediate surroundings. There he took a good look at his victim, the skewered traveler.

As Ducont tries to make out just how dirty this man was he sprang back to life!

The man Ducont thought to rob is in reality, a zombie. Ducont recoils in fear as the abysmal creature tries to bite him, reacting just fast enough to retract his blade and kick it back, freeing his sword in the process.

With the advantage of being armed and being faster, Ducont quickly dispatched the zombie by decapitating it and hacking wildly at its torso and limbs till it stops moving.

Out of breath and exhausted from the encounter Ducont drops onto his behind heavily on the road, trying to recover.

It didn't take long for Ducont to realize what a big mistake it was for him to even try to destroy the zombie, much less even stay near it as soon as he dropped the undead.

A severed hand attached itself on his ankle and no later as he fought it off, more zombies found him, catching him by surprise and proceeded to feast on a screaming Ducont.

... _often zombie will appeared slow and weak, only to leap off with lightning paces towards its u suspected victims, often in packs well hidden. For a creature perceived as dumb, they seemed to project an effective survival tactics._

Keith the elder pondered as he drafted his latest entry. Eye witness account of these creatures of the dark are often unreliable. The few that lived to tell often exaggerated their tales, and mixes with part imagination, part reality. More so the former, the wise elder reckoned.

His young apprentice waited upon his master till the aged scholar fell asleep, as always, before putting a blanket over him, and blowing the candles. A task seemingly unnecessary as sun will break in less than half a candlelight time, over the tinted glass windows of a neatly kept cottage of Dedenshire.  
Keith came from a long line of bookkeepers, recording history, both of men and god, as well as details of vile creatures. As lore foretold of great hardship and the rise of unholy forces, and the belief of inevitable Armageddon. The day when hell will break lose and nefarious creatures will rise and threaten all that is good.

The moon shone brightly in the clear sky, all traces of the fierce rainstorm was gone except the dampness of the grass.

Duran dug a shallow pit and filled it with what dry material he could find, kindling of assorted origins, birch bark and twigs. Dead wood sheltered under a rock formation provided the fuel for their fire and the rubble was gathered as Duran forms a ring with the small rocks around their campfire.

Elissa watched him silently as she marveled the efficacy of the veteran, Duran had next to no trouble setting up a campfire just after a severe rainstorm where hardly anywhere is dry.  
Her hands propped under her chin as her gaze gets lost in the fire, memories of her family surging forth with the bitter realization of their demise.

"Elissa."

Duran calls out to her, noticing that she is slipping into her painful recollection of her recent loss.  
"Elissa, come help me with this fish"

Offering a distraction, Duran beckons for the lass as she came out of her trance.

As Duran finish setting the fire, he looks over his shoulder and silently observes Elissa skewering the fish after seasoning them with herbs they found on the way to their campsite.

She did so efficiently poking through the fish head 1st then weaving the fish fluidly as she pushes the stick through the fish through head to tail.

The evening passed by with little exchange between the two, as the night settles in, sounds of insects and the crackling of their fire filled in the otherwise void of silence between the two.

"Why did you choose to save me?"

Elissa breaks the ice,"you could just have them guide you to the woods."  
Duran eyed her once as he took a mouthful of his dinner, lowers his fish and nodding, much to himself, answers slowly. "When I saw you all trussed up like a sack of potatoes, I though it would be quite a chore dragging these potatoes, better if the sack had legs to walk itself along side!"

"How dare you refer me to mere potatoes!"Elissa answers in mock anger, a beautiful smile broke through her previously serious facade. Grinning Duran jested "potatoes make fair a meal too!"  
"Oh you better enjoy your dinner, it's prepared by yours truly, princess potato!" Elissa retorts, her mood no longer glum as before. The two pokes fun at each another as the campfire danced and cracked into the night air.

Amidst the laughter, Duran suddenly fell silent, the sound of insects died and Elissa caught on.  
Silently Duran unsheathed his weapon, he paused for a moment regarding Elissa, then handed her his spare weapon.

Elissa took the short sword with both her hands, brushing her delicate hands over the intricate carvings of its blade and handle as she too unsheathes the short sword, taking the moment to admire the adorned weapon.

Duran picked up a makeshift torch from the campfire and tossed it in the general direction where he sensed something a momentary glimpse was all Duran needed.. Sure enough the warrior's keen eyes spotted several figures previously shrouded by an unnatural darkness. A fair breeze brought forth the stench of decay, the smell of death faint.

"Zombies!" Duran immediately knew.

 _Several zombies probably sensing the life force of the two, came forth._

Or so Duran thought till a familiar voice screeched through the unnerving silence

"Hanson! Brother! Is that you?! Have you finally come back home?!"

The cloaked man spoke in clear shrill tones, the clouds parted with a strong gust of wind, revealing the horde of undead as zombies surged around him.

"What in the name of gods are those?" Elissa shot a look at Duran, Duran's visage became deadly grim and he stayed silent.

Accounting for all the zombies, Duran decided he would try to extract some answers from the cloaked man.

"I trust you know how to use that." Duran asked, not for a moment taking his eyes off the zombie horde.

"I see my brothers sword play before" Elissa answered softly.

Noting the monsters are all clustered together Duran took a stance for just a brief moment before bursting into a blur, moving so fast that neither the man nor the zombies could react.

Within seconds Duran was at the horde, his unnatural speed covering the twenty or so yards in a blink of an eye.

Just as fast as he had ran to the zombies, Duran cuts down a score of the zombies.  
Holding his blade to his side, Duran approaches the cloaked man at a steady pace, now merely paces away from him.

"Whom do you serve and who is Hanson to you?"

Duran asks in a loud voice, blade singing through the air as he cut down zombies in his way.

The cloak man seemingly oblivious of his fallen zombies around him.

Doubling forth Duran came within an arm's length of the cloaked man and threw the man's hood back.

As if mortally wounded, Duran fell back a couple of steps. His fears were confirmed, it was none other then Timo, his little brother.

Timo looked like the zombies around him with sunken cheeks and dark rings around his eyes. Skin pale and hair wild. Only his bloodshot eyes showing what little humanity he possesses.

"Who are you?"Timo inquires, not the least disturbed by Duran's display of unnatural speed.

Duran really wanted to answer him, but given his grim revelation and lacking of any sense of mortality he merely answered curtly, "a warrior disgraced and discarded by his employer" hoping to probe more information from Timo, Duran pressed on with the conversation."what might your business be here, why do you linger with the likes of such evil company?!"

As if hardly registering Duran, Timo swung his head left to right, high and low in search of something, someone, all the while calling out for Hanson.

Supposed he realized the futility of his trip here, Timo turns away muttering to himself"where are you Hanson, Thomas told me you should be around here...Thomas wouldn't lie..."

"Wait! You haven't answered my question!" Duran reached forward to grab Timo's shoulder, only to swing his arm into mist, as if Timo had dematerialized, his shadowy figure dissolves into the darkness.

A shriek in a distance warned Duran of the gravity of the situation and Duran returns to Elissa's side just as he had sped off just moments ago.  
Swiftly dispatching the zombies that approached their campsite, Duran went on at a steady pace to destroy the remaining zombies in the vicinity.

A million questions popped up in each of the adventurer's minds but as the events had unfolded so quickly, neither of them knew what to say of it. As the exhaustion of the series of events kicked in, the pair settled uneasily into restless slumber.


	4. Chapter 4

The Sun barely hit Keith aged face before he was awaken by neighing of a horse outside . "you have to see this elder Keith" remarked his apprentice, a spirited youth the elder took under his care since he was little. The boy was no more then a day old when the elder found him abandoned at his doorstep. The baby's mother had left the child in hope the elder would care for him as she could not provide for. The poor woman was found days later dead within the cursed woods, apparently from starvation.

"the wood cutters found some men on the fringe of the damned woods" The youth was excited as he got off his horse nearly falling in the process "None of them showed any signs of the living dead, zombies"

The elder was elated on hearing this, however berated the young man understanding that villagers had breached their code of safety and ventured into tainted grounds.

" Didn't I told you guys not to attempt to capture them. A bite from them could be fatal, or worse" Keith remarked

" they were tied, when the woodcutter found them". We have to hurry before the villagers decide to put an end to them. Rarely do we get people that survived from those woods avoid being afflicted with the death of living dead, they must be examined and perhaps I may find out why. "

Noting the commotion afar the elder rushed towards the source as he bade his inexperienced apprentice to go back to the men that was found.

" enough of this idle chattering, we need to hurry before these men you found are killed! Get back to them immediately!" Keith scolded to his young apprentice

The elder hurried pass his companions to the village square confirming his guess of what had transpired.

The woodcutters excited with their find, had spread word of their find and the men of the village had brought the men back within a iron wrought cage meant for large animals.

"Let me though"

the elder urged as he pushes his way through the angry mob, the villagers very much agitated had began stoning the men within the cage while some others are gathering hay and firewood in preparation to cremate them.

"Stop what you are doing!" the elder beseeches,

"these men may yet be tainted with disease, even if they are, they may provide me a way to make cure for the fever!"

The elder went around the iron cage confronting the few men preparing the fire wood as he continued to reason, understanding even with his position as village elder, he isnt going to be able to convince the villagers without someway to placate them.

"Step aside elder Keith, we have to burn these monsters before their foul disease befalls our children!" Jacob Fletcher, the head of the village's hunters proclaims.

Turning away from the elder, Jacob swept his hand through the air facing the villagers that gathered, palm open in an exaggerated gesture. "We cannot afford these foul creatures taint our lands and spread their affliction. Don't all of you think so?

I say we burn them right now!"

A number of the villagers cries out in unison to Jacobs promulgation" burn burn burn burn!"

Fist pumping overhead, Jacob rallied the support of the villagers and returns his attention to the elder, a clear smirk on his face. "The people of this village listens to the sound advice of their leader, not some old rambling scholar that can't even tell what's dangerous or not."

Jacob Fletcher was the eldest son of the then villager elder Peter Fletcher who was killed fifteen years ago. When the war didn't end, many men took up arms under the lead of Peter with the promise of distinction by his word that their finest archers would help end the stalemate.

The men however didn't get far, and the denizens of the night claimed their convoy just a week's journey away from the village.

Word has it that foul necromancers raised the dead and Peter's band was caught off guard while they drank in excess of the normal fair. None survived that fateful day.

Disgraced, & desperate, the villagers elected Keith, then a mere scholar that only just resided in the villager for a few months, to become the villager elder after he rallied the remaining villager to hold off the returning zombie kin that had fell to ill fate.

The Fletchers bore animosity towards elder Keith ever since that incident and sought to hinder with whatever the elder had planned, hampering progress the village sorely needed.

"No!"

The elder pleaded with the villagers, "I know your fears and hurt for those that had lost their kin ten years ago. But now things are different, we have fortified the village and grew our life stocks. The zombies are only so much a threat to us unless we cross the river."

Making sure he made eye contact with the villagers he continued.

"If I can study these men, I may have a cure for those afflicted, I can..."

Elder Keith was cut short by Jacob fletcher as he rushed in front of the elder, fearing the elder would have his way yet again.

" we need no a cure, we only need to burn these nefarious creatures and return them to hell!"

The past years of research showed that there is a possibility of reversing the transformation of the host, should the host be freshly turned by this bizarre affliction. But he never had any luck acquiring adequate test subjects, these men may provide him with an opportunity to understand more about anything related to how the fever is contracted as well as provide samples for his development of a cure for the fever.

This fever that accompanied with the deathly curse proves difficult to even be prescribe a cure as the sick that succumb to the disease convulse in a rabid fashion, often scratching anyone that tried to restrain them and passing on the curse as a result, endangering anyone that tries to hold them. this forcedthe elder to discard any hope of making any arrangements of examination with these recently afflicted. The family members of those afflicted also objects to the elder's intervention and many a time, dug basement cells within their homes to hold their afflicted kin, preferring to destroy them when it had been discovered then to turn them over to the elder for his research.

Elder Keith knew of this resistance from the villagers, generally encouraged by the Fletchers in their attempt to discredit the elder, claiming he intends to perform rituals over the cursed and desecrate the dead.

With resolution, Elder Keith attempts to redress his case, these men found might just provide the elder with what he needed.

The elder confronts Jacob, "these creatures are not your kin are they? All this time you had denied me the samples I needed for those whom are still sick, stating it is sacrilegious to use those of the dead from the villager's own kin for my studies."

Turning around to regard the villagers, The elder spoke loud and clear.

"These men are not related to the village, I see no problem in that respect."

Jacob was at a lost of words at the moment, and elder Keith continues to address the villagers. "Burning these men is easy, but if we all simply decide to turn a blind eye to the potential cure that these men could provide from my research, we will continue to allow our young and kin be threatened by the disease of the dead. To continue to be denied any protection for those that fell ill due to tainted food!"

Jacob felt the flush of his face, for the tainted food was cause by his negligence.

On occasion the hunting party would return with fresh kills from the woods, while the risen dead cared little for animals, their taint often linger in the surrounding and corrupts the animals. Where the animals often are unaffected by the taint, the disease is passed on to the humans that consumes the meat, and their affliction is a long and excruciating one, lasting from weeks to months. Some would finally succumb to the fever and the curse consumes them as they breathe their last, transforming the dead villagers into nefarious zombies. Other would simply die and become a virulent threat that requires immediate exhumation of their bodies.  
As the village isn't able to sustain itself purely on bred livestock and the limited farmland, Hunters are counted on to provide for the village's need for food as well ,with this there is a threat ever present.  
Before Jacob could protest, elder Keith smothered him with his stern gaze, staring down the man down despite his smaller frame.

"There is still is hope for the living. Forget not it was by your ill judgment to hunt on the other side of the banks that more than a score of the people of this village had taken ill, do not let your petty ego get in my way to save these people, your people."

Reminding Jacob that his own little sister Margaret was recently sick due to Jacob's insistence to hunt deep into the woods on the far side of the river that ran miles in each direction, cutting through the woods.

Jacob spat on the ground and backed away, flustered.

As the apprentice to elder Keith disperses the villages, the elder moved to inspect the men.  
Of the 4, only 1 , a thin man has began showing symptoms of turning fever. The other although in close proximity of the man appears just confused and likely starved weak rather than sick from the disease they so feared.

Elder Keith hurried to have the 3 men removed from the iron cage while leaving the only sick man within.

As the few villagers that remained to assist the elder carried the men away from the cage, the largest of the men recovers a little, coughing and pleading weakly for water. The elder obliged and the man was offered a water skin. Hours later the elder was checking his captives, all 3 recovered after being fed and watered. But fearing a possibly of affliction, these men are locked away in a cell.

The elder checks their faces and the men obliged despite being locked up, telling each of them to stick their tongues out in turn and holding their arms beyond their cell, the elder checks them and drew a sample of blood from each of them into vials.

The larger of the men spoke, confused of their state. "Why are we locked up good sire, we mean you no harm."

Elder Keith introduces himself to the imprisoned men and asks, "what are your names and why are you tied in the woods?"

As the apprentice leaves his master with the prisoners to check on the stricken man from the four they found he faintly hear the large man say" my name is Doma, Doma Nayshen."


	5. Chapter 5

Doma recounts the week's past to elder Keith who listens intended, occasionally asking Doma questions regarding details he felt like getting clarification.  
Having learnt of the more recent events Doma had experienced, elder Keith concluded that their partner in crime that goes by the name Davy Jones had fallen sick from consuming tainted food, namely the bird that he had refused to share with the others while the men are on the road, Doma had made most of their meals and on that one occasion Davy caught the bird whilst they are at the edge of the woods. Having brought provisions Doma had refrained from hunting in the region due to rumors of a virulent fever that was said to be caught from eating the animals within the vicinity of the woods.  
Davy dismissed it as superstition that the evil would make one sick and was adamant to have something fresh rather then eat the gruel that Doma would make for their meals.  
"This man, the warrior you described, do you notice anything on him that can tell where is was from?" The mention of the veteran and his exceptional, if not unusual deft and strength both intrigued the elder as well as frightened him.  
"Not much good sire, except him saying he goes by the name Duran, and his sword is very well made. I do not brag but with my strength I could easily knock someone his size over when I swing my mace at them, he actually blocked my attack in full strength with little effort."

Elder Keith took the moment to ponder all the information he just gotten, if what Doma said is true, then perhaps they had came across the legend among men, however elder Keith couldn't shake the sense of unease he had for days. A sudden appearance of someone with strength above men could easily have been could also mean this individual can be a monster disguised as a man.  
Deciding caution over all assumptions elder Keith instructs his apprentice as he returns to be on the look out for this Duran, be he the legend or an imposter.

"You sure it's this way?"  
Duran asks Ellisa, Getting to one knee, he inspects the dirt and concludes they had in fact circled around back to the camp site.  
"This doesn't make sense." Elissa says softly, then as if remembering something horrid, her face drains of blood as she stumbles across the remains of corpses that rose to attack them the night before.  
"Dark magic"  
Duran curses under his breath, scanning the surrounding, he decides it's possible Evil force had left its taint corrupting the area, effectively trapping the unwary traveler into specific areas, wearing them down to their deaths.  
"Wait here" Duran told Elissa, drawing his blade, the veteran offers a prayer to Athena and traces the goddess's symbol in the air. Then he drew a circle around him and closed his eyes, focusing onto himself As if all time had stopped, Duran drew his inner conscience forth and a pulse of his mental energy radiant from him in all directions, marking anything and everything around him that has magic. As he reopens his eyes, he can visibly see specific spots that had a dark taunt to it. "What is it", Elissa asks, curious.  
Duran turns around as the sight shocked him, Elissa was cloaked in purplish magic, dark sealing magic that served to restrain the person encased within, yet Elissa seem unaffected by it.  
Duran scrutinizes Elissa for a moment making her blush then grabs at her, drawing a shriek from Elissa.  
As she cowers, thinking Duran had given in to lust, she finds Duran did not actually assault her. Annoyed she protests" what are you doing!"  
He eyes follows Duran's gaze to his clutched hand and she recoils in fear, Duran had reached out to Elissa and remove an essence of evil, a taint that corrupts one and turns them into the undead. The essence of evil as much a curse as it is a disease, took on a more tangible form, squirming in Duran's hand.  
Duran offers yet another prayer to Athena and clenched his hand into a fist, crushing and destroying the essence of evil.  
"What is that disgusting thing!?"Elissa exclaims, unable to grasp the situation.  
Returning his attention to Elissa, Duran was surprise. Dark magic and their sort do not manifest to the normal people, as such they shouldn't be even see the essence of evil Duran had snatched away from Elissa. However it appears Elissa can in fact see it although she didn't seem to realize she had been afflicted earlier.  
"What is it?!" Elissa asked again this time a little more annoyed, as Duran had been staring at her the whole time. Duran realizes Elissa' defensive reaction was due to him staring and turned away, feigning a cough. "I merely caught a bug, as you can see it was a peculiar insect."  
"What did you do to it, it dissipated into the air while you're still holding it." Elissa pressed on, Duran shrugs as he notice the dark magic surrounding them fades away. Moving to collect his pack that he had left leaning on a rock, he teases Elissa" it's the sort of bug that's attracted to strong body odor." "What..." Elissa took a moment to digest his claim then flushes red, "I do not smell!" Pouting, Elissa stomps away arms akimbo. "We came from that way milady!" Duran shouts at Elissa before she gotten too far" I think we should go this way, a little further south from the rocks we spent the night at"  
Elissa embarrassed hurried back to Duran and fell in line behind him, quietly sniffing her clothes as the duo walks south.

A artifact fizzles and dissolves away into the air as a spell broke, Timo regards the dissipating charm and exclaimed with glee, "Hanson! So you are alive!" Staring blanking into the air Timo starts muttering to himself excited as he turns around, retracing his the path which he had took the night before when he went looking for Hanson.

"So what is the elder up to?" Impatient, jacob fletcher confronts a youth of the village. The Fletchers already had a feud with elder Keith, the embarrassment Jacob was put through adds to his determination to disrupt the elder's plans even more then ever, whatever these plans may be.  
"Easy Jacob, swain just came running back let him catch his breath" Leroy intervenes as Jacob almost got rough with 'lil' swain Rogers, Leroy's cousin twice removed. Jacob stared at Leroy for a moment, his face flustered as if he was the one running eyes bloodshot was enough to frighten the average person. A message sent clear as day"back off!" With this hostile gesture, Leroy back up a little with his hands up as he shrugged." Don't kill him please, I still need to return him to my great grandaunt."  
With Leroy removed, Jacob turned back at swain, "well? You have something to tell me or what?"  
The youth caught his breath, though clearly shaken by Jacob's rough treatment, wasn't a stranger to his bullying ways and recovers quickly to give a report of his observations. "They were in the elder's cellar but I could hear them clearly. The men caught by Leroy's party were thugs from the city, and they kidnapped a princess or something. Then they met a giant and they got beat and lost the princess or something. Now this monster is coming to our town or something."  
"What else you heard? Are those men sick? Come on boy, tell me!"  
Jacob shook the boy again.  
"I don't know, the elder didn't say anything about them."  
Leroy place his hand on Jacob, urging him to stop." The boy told you everything he knew, let it go Jacob." Jacob fletcher pause for a moment as he regards Leroy, then shoves swain away as he turns to face Leroy. Leroy backs up once again as he throws his hand up," easy Jacob, just saying the boy don't have anything else to tell." Leroy quickly turns away from Jacob to avoid his apprehensive stare, then something struck him.  
"Wait Jacob, look, my guys saw the elder have one of the men brought back be kept in the cage. He had his student keep that man locked outside and he was fed like all the others that caught the death. I think that man is sick." Jacob's expression brightens almost immediately as he digests the information, then twisting ever so slightly as he formulates a plan"

"Boy, you go and open the cage which the elder have outside his cottage. No one is to see you do it." Jacob pauses and adds "Then go tell Liam that this man in the cage has news of his dead girl. Now go!" As lil swain dashes off, Jacob mutters to himself,  
"That crazy buffoon will definitely strangle the life out of the caged man. "  
Making sure no one else is around, Jacob spoke softly to Leroy.  
"Get the hunters together and have them scout the banks of the far side, now if this man the elder was warned about is really a monster of some sort. We certainly wouldn't want this monster get across the bridge that connects between the rivers. I want this monster found, and killed." Jacob's expression grim as he tells Leroy his plan. Leroy interjects at once " what if it's just a warrior that managed to stay alive and beat off those bandits? They could be drunk and simply lied about their encounter..."  
Jacob's eyes darkens further as he silences Leroy."nothing comes out of those woods clean, even if it's just another traveler that is passing through. A single man's death means nothing to us if he's not from our village."  
"I want all the traps we have set up around the bridge end, we will wait for this man or monster, trap it and kill it with arrows and spears like how we always hunted bears."  
Jacob ushers a reluctant Leroy to carry out his bidding, then heads towards the elder's cottage, preparing to make a scene.

Lil swain Rogers is fast and he knew it but he he isn't all that keen to do as Jacob says.  
Stopping by the farms he greeted the townsfolk resting after a hard days of work on the farms. It's way past noon and as the sun begun it descent, heavy clouds in the distance brings news of an impending storm.  
Gentle breeze swept through the outskirts of the village, relieving everyone of the heat from a scorching mid summer sun.  
Lil swain slows his pace and thought to himself it wouldn't hurt to enjoy the cooling weather, skipping playfully through the wild country side, brushing his hand through soft foliage as he paced about in the comforting wind.  
Carefree as he, he slipped and tumbled over a small knoll in the grassy expanse just outside of the village, falling on his behind and laughing to himself.  
Heavy footsteps hastened behind an unwary swain as a figure approaches, breaking into a short dash and grabbing lil swain by his collar.  
"What are you doing boy? Didn't I tell you what to do?" Jacob fletcher had caught up to lil swain as the youth forgot the task set on him, the sun was just an hour away from sinking into the west and Jacob casted a long and ominous shadow over lil swain. Lil swain was rather shaken, and sputters some excuses which only made Jacob shake him hard. Dismissing the boy, jacob followed lil swain to the elder Keith's cottage.

Several trackers just returned to Leroy as the sun begun to set, having sent the hunters out mid day, it was surprisingly early for them to have returned.  
"Spotted em," a lanky hunter tells Leroy, "old soldier and a lass headed to the bridge, old soul's eyes be blindfolded. Maybe he lost his eyes to sumthine."  
Leroy thought to himself silently, "how could he kill this man?" " The man might be hurt and even if he's with the deathly fever, it's just so cruel to kill him ."  
Casting his gaze over the men he led , Leroy notes that all traps have been set.  
"How soon will they reach us?"  
"An hour or so." Another tracker replied quickly.  
Just as the hunters were waiting for Leroy to give them further instructions, storm clouds churns overhead and a small drizzle followed. The sky grew darker as the clouds loomed over the hunters, then a look out shouted "Zombies!"  
With the sun setting and further obscured by the clouds, undead had little trouble moving about. It struck Leroy as peculiar since zombies almost never starts moving so early in the evening, and seldom comes this far to the banks of the river.  
He however is seasoned in zombie fighting and quickly recovered his wits.  
"Formations!" He barked and the shaken men recovered from the initial fear and remembered their training, banding around Leroy in a formation facing the approaching zombies.  
A few men stood in the front with wooden shields with a notch carved out of everyone of the wooden shield, one hand bracing the shield while they held iron tipped spears in their other hand. 3 Archers lined up behind the formation of 5 shield bearers and the remaining two stood by Leroy to each of his sides holding well forged iron swords. Bracing themselves as the initial wave of zombies got close. 


	6. Chapter 6

Straining his eyes Duran watched the men observing them leave. The blindfold a ruse, he decided to use it to trick whomever it was that had been spying on himself and Elissa into thinking they were not a threat.  
Noting the men are fairly equipped, he suspected they were out prepared to fight something, and perhaps they meant to defend a certain venue, perhaps a means of passage across the river.

Ushering Elissa to keep up with his pace, Duran tracked the men to the river bank and a bridge to cross the river. Easing Elissa onto the ground, Duran sees the men seemingly excited, then realizes they are getting into formation to defend the bridge. Far off, Duran spots the source of their unrest, zombies shambling from the woods. Something pulled at his senses, something dark was manipulating the zombies.  
Readying his weapon Duran motioned for Elissa to stay low, he poised to engage should the zombies attack.  
An ominous dark force came forward, and Duran spots Timo once more.  
Even while Duran had stayed hidden, Timo seemingly sees him and just as Timo came in view, his zombies started surging forward, mostly in the direction of Duran.

Leroy and his men braced themselves as the zombies rushed out of the dense woods, only to find the majority of the zombies going into the direction where the trackers returned from.  
Several zombies strayed from the pack, lumbering towards the pack of hunters, these zombies are quickly taken out.  
"Look over there!" One of the archers pointed, a lone figure rose and went straight for the throng of zombie then in a blur numerous zombies was seemingly blasted away.  
Leroy can only marvel at the display of super human speed and strength as the lone warrior battled, cleaving through scores of zombies with each swing of his sword.

Duran's eyes darted left and right as he sizes up the zombies. The numbers of the undead nearly triple of that they had earlier faced.  
Teemo was in the heart of the group and now it is evident that he is indeed controlling them in a concentrated effort to over run Duran.  
Thankfully, the evening sun has yet fallen so even while the unnatural storm gains momentum, the zombies are sluggish and made it easier for Duran to defend Elissa's position.  
Careful not to over extend, Duran zig zags back and forth, generally only cleaning of those that are nearer so Duran always had an clear path to retreat to Elissa's position. Then he suddenly froze, Timo had vanished from the zombie throng and reappeared beside Elissa!  
Blood racing, Duran rushed to confront Timo.

Timo reached out a hand towards Elissa and almost immediately retracted it, while the girl didn't appear to be special in anyway he sensed a dreaded power within her essence. Timo suddenly realized his power was slowly and surely draining from him into her as the dark energies drained him his being and started flowing into her.  
" GET AWAY FROM THE GIRL!"  
Duran yelled as he rushed to Elissa's side.  
Elissa shocked but unharmed only stared at the deathly pale face in horror as she realizes the dark energies emitting from this man is engulfing her.  
Duran too realizes this and panicked, calling forth all the power Athena bestowed upon him he plunged his sword into the ground and uttered a single word of power, sending forth a blast of holy energy, effectively knocking Timo off his feet and sending him reeling.  
The surge of holy power rippled outwards for a hundred yards, disintegrating almost every single zombie in sight.  
The holy blast shook the earth as it craters the very ground Duran stood on, and the force of the blast so strong it blew apart the the formation the hunters formed as they huddled together when they say the explosion of energy, sending them hunter tumbling as if they fell down a steep slope.  
Several seconds passed before Duran regained his composure, and he was immediately filled with regret. In his fit, he had unleashed a large portion of his essence. This essence bestowed upon him by the goddess Athena, was meant for him to use only in the most dire of situations, and he had likely killed everyone around him when he used this unbridled power.  
Quickly turning around, Duran fears he had also blown Elissa away.  
Very much to his amazement, Elissa was completely untouched, and where the dark energies cloaked her, now holy energies had enveloped her.  
"What did you just do?" Elissa recovers from her state of shock as Teemo confronted her. Then the destruction around her came to view and Elissa was dumbfounded, knee weak when she got a clear view of the surrounding.  
A wave of relief came over Duran when he found Elissa safe, then the sense of amazement returned. "Just what are you lass?" The words came out of Duran as he thought of them, regarding Elissa in disbelief as Duran realized the magnitude of power that resided within Elissa, not only did this power from Elissa shielded her from harm, her power actually suppressed Duran's blast. Duran reaches out a hand and caressed a visible fabric of mana, the pure source of energy which then gently enters him and rejuvenates him. The heavy shroud of mana slowly dropped over their surrounding area and the blasted earth started springing into life!

Grass grew out of the then lifeless dirt and saplings sprung out of the ground, rapidly growing into maturity. The mana extends hundreds of yards from Elissa engulfing even the village. And a warmth of healing and regrowth appears everywhere within the area.  
The hunters that got caught in Duran's blast got up and were equally amazed by the spectacle and the fact that none of them were hurt.  
In the village the folks were in awe and many dropped on their knees in frenzied prayer as their love ones recovers from the deathly fever, old Liam stepped out of his shack and for once in decades finally could think straight, realizing the lost of his daughter, and crumbles into a heap as he cried his heart out.

Davy Jones sat up in the cage as he felt the comforting wave wash over him, instinctively he removes the makeshift bandage on his wrist and found it had healed.  
"A miracle!" Elder Keith exclaims as he came out of his cottage to find out what the commotion was about, and almost immediately, a revelation came over him, gods had descended upon the lands.

The evening sun was almost set and the darkness began to envelope the plains.  
Leroy having recovered quickly from the blast quickly organized his men, wary of more zombies though almost all but the few closest to their immediate vicinity remained. Dispatching the handful of zombies was easy, and Leroy's band had no difficulty destroying them.  
Finally relieved of the threat, Leroy turns his attention to the old soldier and the girl they are made to scout out and kill,  
And see the pair keep their distance seemingly defensive.  
"Stay here and stand down" Leroy instructed his hunter band and makes haste to the duo.  
Seeing by him approaching, the duo appears to become defensive, Leroy threw his arms up to show he come in peace.

Duran was confused, was unsure if it was ok to allow the one of the hunters approach.  
On one hand, it's highly unlikely these men are in the area and spying on himself by chance, on the other Duran cannot comprehend how Elissa obtained her power.  
In the distance, he saw the approaching hunter raise up his arms as a show of peace. "Might as well get some answers."  
Duran spoke his mind as he regarded Elissa again.  
"Can you stand up?" Extending a hand to assist Elissa, Duran smiled to reassure Elissa.  
"What just happened?" Elissa snaps out of her confusion and took Duran's hand.  
Duran merely regarded her with a smile and pulled her to her feet.  
"Let's greet our hosts 1st, save your questions for later."  
Elissa nodded in agreement as she turned to face the approaching figure with Duran.

Leroy couldn't help but marvel at Elissa's striking beauty as he came within yards of the two. And where Leroy had pride himself to be the one whom isn't tempted by the cardinal sin, he can only gasp at the sight of Elissa. As if radiating some inner light, the sight of Elissa drew Leroy in, the usually composed hunter stumbling on even ground.  
Unable to read the hunter's intention, Duran stood in front of Elissa protectively, his weapon drawn.  
Seeing the hunter's eyes seemingly enchanted by something, Duran raised his voice in query, exerting mana as he spoke..  
"Who are you and what do you want of us?"  
As Duran's dispelling Magic washed over Leroy, the hunter hunter snaps out of his trance like state. Confused, he stood at the spot for a while before coming close.

Well met, my name is Leroy Jenkins. I am a hunter of these parts. How may I address you, oh mighty warrior? And if I may be honored to hear the name of the lady as fair as the goddesses?

Bowing with a hand over his breast, Leroy attempts to be as formal as he possibly could. The man before him is no doubt a great warrior, and the lady as fair and desirable as she is, definitely is a lady of statue, so he reckoned.

Unsure if these men are for or ally, but under oath not to lie, Duran decided to only give names and not include any title or indication of statue. "I am Duran, a retired soldier, my companion is Elissa.

Leroy smiled broadly as he spread his arms out in gesture of friendship. "Greetings Duran and Elissa, might I inquire of your business in these god forsaken woods?"  
Scanning Leroy's face for any signs of recognition, it appears Leroy didn't know either of their names.

Duran stared at Leroy and bluntly stated he is not obligated to answer Leroy as he posed a similar question as the men met, and Leroy curtly replied their hunters are out looking for a fellow villager suspected to have wondered to the woods, drawing much suspicion from Duran.

Duran replied sparsely about his journey and encounter of bandits where he rescued Elissa, much to Leroy's interest. The two men continued to exchange stories as Leroy led the duo to his band, assuring their safety, a meal to thank their assistance of eliminating the zombies and a few days of lodging within the village while Duran may cross examine the men the hunters found the night before should they be the same highwaymen Duran and Elissa had encountered two days ago.

"I seek a blacksmith" Duran told Leroy after much contemplating, "not just any blacksmith, one that could heal metal"

Leroy took a moment to consider this, then expressed his lack of knowledge surrounding anyone with the craft that actually stayed.

"When the necromancers invaded Sunderworth many craftsmen either are captured or fled the province, if there were indeed any blacksmiths whom didn't flee, I believe only the elder would know.

Duran shrugged of the bad news, it wasn't so much a surprise to him that the necromancers invading had left much unmolested, less the craftsmen as the invaders wished to spread their faith in foreign lands they will need to have a base of operations, as such many would have been coerced into their labor force.

Duran spoke of the wars his king waged with the necromancers as they invaded and of their brutal methods, forcing civilians to join their clan in worship of their dark God or die. Many settlements fell quickly as the necromancers had no problem killing entire villages to fuel their corpse band. At that nothing is more demoralizing then fighting those that are familiar to yourself and nothing is harder to resist then the mindless zombie throngs the necromancers muster in their campaigns.

No less then two hour of walking though dense foliage did the hunter lead Duran to their village set in the middle of the forest. Small plots of farmland is seen as the hunting party broke out to the village. Burning brands marked the edge of the forest and the moderately sizable clearing within the forest is dotted with several houses and at the center a well.  
Noting the direction of where the sun had set over an hour ago, Duran understood immediately that the hunters had deliberately brought Duran and Elissa on an indirect route to the village, a clear indication that the hunters didn't trust them.

A large man stormed towards the hunter band as the came into the village, while this man isn't armed, his aggression is apparent and Duran tensed immediately.  
"What is this Leroy?" The man almost yelled as he came within yards of the hunters, going straight for Leroy with fists clenched.  
As he neared Leroy, he raised his fist ready to strike only to find he no longer could move his arm.  
Duran held his wrist before he could throw a punch.  
The man turn around and glared at Duran, then proceeded to try free his wrist only to find his struggling and trashing all but in futile effort. Even when Duran wasn't hurting him in one bit, the man obviously took a heavy blow to this pride, unable to free himself no matter what he tried.  
The scene is comical as it looked like a child struggling against his parent, yet with the larger of two men grunting cursing to no end as he tries every way he could in attempt to free his wrist from the smaller of the two men.  
"Mercy!" A man shouted in a distance, Duran turned to see a aged man in robes approach the spectacle. With Duran making no conscience effort but the large man trying very hard to free himself, Duran bowed lightly as he knew immediately this man is the elder of the village.  
A distinctive sense of dignity and refinement the aged man carried himself with set him apart from the rest of the villagers.  
"Greetings stranger," the old man said "I am elder Keith, please forgive our terrible reception of your arrival."  
Elder Keith gave Jacob a stern look and the big man stopped squirming.  
Returning his attention to Duran, the elder bowed a little and Duran hurried to intercept, releasing Jacob in the process.  
Elder Keith only smiled broadly as Duran told him that in terms of seniority, Duran isn't in a position to receive the honor of the elder's homage. Elder Keith winked slyly, and replied" but you so graciously released my people here, I believe you have accepted our apology!?"  
Duran regarded what had happened and laughed, with which the elder ushered Duran and Elissa to his cottage


	7. Chapter 7

Scream echoes though the dark corridors of the felled temple, once a place of worship by native forest dwelling mezzonians.  
In their days of glory, the mezzonians are much feared in the lands. Fiercely independent, the mezzonians refused contact with the rest of the land, all the while guarding the dense jungles now called the dark woods.  
The mezzo empire while outwardly appearing backward, are direct descendants of the gods as many would relate, hidden deep within miles of marshlands, the mezzonians erected a grand temple in reverence of gods long forgotten. The ominous structure withstood centuries of weather, war and gave shelter to their people through the darkest of times.  
The fiercely proud mezzonians would have carved yet another century into the walls of the temple if not for the invasion of the necromancers.  
Vile forces finally conquering a people with centuries of legacy, now desecrated and in ruins as the once lush jungle became tainted and wasted in a foot deep swamp water filled with only the most vile and hardy creatures.  
Deep within the temple yet another scream echoed forth, sobbing and choking as whomever it is struggled to breath.  
Teemo clenched his teeth as yet another wave of agony washed over his being, not only had his essence been stripped from him, the holy energy released very nearly destroyed his core, a dark gemstone embedded into his chest.  
The stone pulsated with vile energy and once again clashed with residual holy energy left within Teemo, drawing yet another scream from him.  
The holy energy had burned Teemo in multiple places on his body and when the blast threw Teemo back, Teemo had managed to enact a protective ward to cushion its effects before it could do further damage. Then the life giving mana literally forced Teemo to back away, as an act of self preservation, his core teleported Teemo back to the temple to avoid being caught in the life giving mana, such a raw and untamed magic would easily unravel all the magic that held the core in place.  
Squirming pathetically Teemo fought yet another inner demon, fuzzy memories he had became clear then blurred away as the darkness within him fought them back, burning Teemo emotionally as he began sobbing yet again feeling the despot nothingness consume his mind once again, before the agony hit him yet again.


End file.
